Doc’s memory bank: You can imagine how that felt

At some stage, there was a Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the Orlando Stadium. During the week, Bra Dave visited our home the Thursday before the game and my dad told him I was going to be at the stadium. He asked him to please do as he always did, make sure I was comfortable and safe because there were going to be a lot of people. We arranged the time

I was going to get to the stadium, as usual, and I got to the stadium before the two kombis and Bra Dave kept me inside the dressing room. There was a silver gate at Orlando that was not easy to open at all. You needed serious manpower because it was so heavy and it was the only gate used by the teams to get into the match venue. From that gate, you go down the tunnel to the change rooms, then you get the away team’s dressing room on your right. This was at the old Orlando Stadium. You can imagine how that felt because the supporters were buzzing outside with the venue packed to the rafters already. I really felt and observed the atmosphere. Can you see how life can turn out? Look at me and Mr Thidiela and see how much we’ve grown since then.

When Bra Dave became the Chairman of Leopards, nothing changed about our relationship. To this day, that man has never changed because he remained that humble security guard I grew up under at Chiefs and never became too big to associate with people, just because he now holds a big office and owns a club. With me, he remained the very same person I knew back then because he had become more than just a father-figure but a friend and someone I could always talk to whenever I needed advice. For me to call him a friend just goes to show the impact he’s had in my life because he is old enough to be my father. The football conversations we would have when he drove me home were out of this world because he always analysed the team’s performance and highlighted the importance of making our supporters happy. That became one of the things I always focused on throughout my career.